Battle of the Tongue River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of the Tongue River
Part of the Indian Wars
Date August 29, 1865 Location northern Dakota Territory, present-day Sheridan County, Wyoming Result U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States	Arapaho Indians
Commanders and leaders
Patrick E. Connor Jim Bridger Frank North	Medicine Man
Strength
200 soldiers, 70 Indian scouts two artillery pieces	500, including women and children
Casualties and losses
2 killed 6 wounded	~ 35-63 killed, including women and children 18 women and children captured

The Battle of the Tongue River, also known as the Connor Battle, happened on August 29, 1865. It was part of the Powder River Expedition. During this battle, soldiers from the United States and their Native American scouts attacked an Arapaho village. They destroyed the village in what is now Wyoming.

Why the Battle Happened

In 1865, Major General Grenville M. Dodge was in charge of a military area called the Department of the Missouri. He ordered a big military action to stop the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho Native American groups. These groups had been raiding mail routes, wagon trains, and army posts. These attacks happened along important travel paths like the Oregon Trail and Overland Trail.

General Dodge put Brigadier General Patrick Edward Connor in charge of this mission. It was called the Powder River Expedition. General Connor's job was to lead his soldiers into the Powder River Country in Wyoming and Montana. Their goal was to "make vigorous war upon the Indians" and force them to keep the peace.

The expedition was a large effort with about 2,600 soldiers, civilians, and Native American scouts. General Connor led the western part of this large group. His direct command included about 380 soldiers from different cavalry groups. Famous mountain man Jim Bridger was a guide. There were also 95 Pawnee scouts led by Captain Frank J. North. Another 84 Omaha and Winnebago scouts were led by Captain E. W. Nash.

General Connor and his forces left Fort Laramie on July 30, 1865. They marched north and built a fort on the upper Powder River. This fort was named Fort Connor, but later it was called Fort Reno. Some soldiers stayed there to guard the new fort.

The Battle Begins

One day, Jim Bridger saw smoke from a Native American village. General Connor sent Frank North and two Pawnee scouts to find it. On August 28, the scouts reported that they had found the village. It was about 35 miles west of Connor's main force.

General Connor quickly gathered his fastest soldiers. This group included about 200 soldiers, two small cannons called mountain howitzers, and 70 Native American scouts. The scouts were 40 Omaha and Winnebago, and 30 Pawnee. They marched through the night towards the village, with Jim Bridger leading the way. They arrived at the village around eight in the morning.

The soldiers attacked the village by surprise. The cannons fired into the village, and the soldiers rushed in. Many of the Arapaho people were not ready for the attack. During the fight, there was a lot of shooting. Sadly, women and children were killed along with warriors. The village, led by Black Bear and Medicine Man, had about 500 people living there. Many of the men were away raiding the Crow tribe. This meant mostly old men, women, and children were left in the village.

After the first attack, the few warriors who were there fought back well. They slowly moved about twelve miles up Wolf Creek. This allowed the women and children to escape.

Fighting and Retreat

Most of the soldiers stayed in the village to take things and burn the tipis. But General Connor and about 30 men, including 15 Pawnee scouts, chased the Arapaho who were leaving. The Arapaho then fought back. General Connor's horses were tired, so he had to go back to the village.

The soldiers finished destroying the village. The Arapaho kept bothering them from a distance. They tried to get their horses back, which the soldiers had captured. The soldiers left the destroyed village around 2:30 that afternoon. Frank North and the Pawnee scouts led the way, driving more than 500 captured horses in front of them.

The Arapaho continued their attacks, but they could not get their horses back. They eventually gave up. At 3 a.m. the next morning, the soldiers reached their starting point. They had traveled more than 70 miles and fought a battle in less than 36 hours.

Who Was Lost

General Connor said that 63 Arapaho warriors were killed. Many more were wounded. A large number of those killed were Arapaho women and children.

On the U.S. side, one Omaha Scout named Private Little Bird was killed. Acting Sergeant Charles M. Latham was badly wounded and later died. Six other men were wounded, including Second Lieutenant Oscar Jewitt. General Connor praised four Winnebago scouts, including their chief Little Priest, for their bravery. He also praised Frank North and 15 Pawnee scouts.

General Connor strictly told his men not to steal anything. The next day, he ordered all the items taken from the village to be burned. He also had the captured women and children released.

What Happened Next

The Arapaho people were not scared away by the destruction of their village. Two days later, they killed Captain Osmer F. Cole. He was the commander of the soldiers protecting the Sawyers Expedition.

The next day, September 1, 1865, about 100 Arapaho attacked the Sawyers wagon train. This train had 60 ox wagons and was led by James A. Sawyers. The attack happened along the Tongue River. They killed two men, wounded several others, and stole livestock. The Arapaho kept the wagon train surrounded for two weeks. General Connor's soldiers finally rescued it. The Arapaho's attack was limited because they did not have much gunpowder for their muskets. Many of their bullets did not even go through the skin of the men or oxen. (See Sawyers Fight)

Leaders in the Battle

• Brigadier General Patrick E. Connor
• Captain Nicholas J. O'Brien, from the 7th Iowa Cavalry
• Captain Jacob L. Humphreyville, from the 11th Ohio Cavalry
• Captain Edwin R. Nash, who led the Omaha and Winnebago Scouts
• Captain Frank J. North, who led the Pawnee Scouts
• Second Lieutenant Oscar Jewitt, from the 1st Nevada Cavalry (he was wounded)

The Battlefield Today

A part of the battlefield is now a protected area. It is called the Connor Battlefield State Historic Site in Ranchester, Wyoming. This site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it is an important historical place.